M.A. in Digital Communication

Accelerate your career while maintaining work and family responsibilities in the online master’s degree program in digital communication from the acclaimed UNC MJ-school. The program equips working professionals for leadership roles, addressing the issues reshaping media and communication today with challenging courses designed for career-minded students’ ambitious schedules. Students complete nine courses over two years and then spend the final semester working one-on-one with faculty on a comprehensive project.

By the Numbers

2

Courses per semester, a part-time load that allows for work, life and study balance

1:1

Work with a faculty member on a final project, often related to your job.

50%+

Percentage of students who, by graduation, attribute a new job or promotion to what they’ve learned

16,000+

UNC MJ-school alumni around the world and across communications industries

"UNC's faculty helped me identify programmatic advertising as the subject for my final project, and the resulting industry survey that I authored directly led to a job as a vice president with Tribune Media. I credit the program with my advancement and would recommend the program to anyone interested in moving their career forward in the rapidly changing media and journalism industries."

William Ammerman '15, New York, N.Y. - Global Head of Advertising, EVP at Frankly Inc.

"The program gave me so much access to knowledge and challenged me to think deeply. These classes gave me better insight into the workings of sub-departments within Chipotle's marketing division as well as confidence to propose ideas to marketing leadership."

"I had already been in leadership and had some degree of success, but the experience gave me a great boost of confidence, a greater depth of knowledge about the media industry, and the practical value of a UNC education on my resume. In an industry that in undergoing drastic systemic changes, these have been invaluable to helping me maintain perspective and adapt to the waves of change I encounter."

"It was a phenomenal experience, the classes and also the cohort that you go through the program with. You learn so much from the professors, from the material, but also from peers that you have in the program, that I really, still to this day, am dipping back into and applying to the challenges that I face in the business."

"The program allowed me to pursue my academic goals online from where I live, without taking time off from my career. I've expanded my leadership and digital media skills while building lifelong relationships with faculty and classmates. It's great to be a part of the Carolina family."

"The greatest strength of this program is that it provides extensive exposure to theory with ample opportunities for application. The ability to identify problems, develop novel solutions and justify the proposed approach is what defines leaders in marketing. The program, in my opinion, is uniquely designed to build these skills."

"I found a lot of value in hearing from my classmates about how a certain strategy or research is applied in the workplace. The various backgrounds among my classmates and the experiences they shared, paired with the curriculum, helped me acquire a unique understanding and knowledge of how to apply course concepts to my everyday work."

John Roberts '15, Chapel Hill, N.C. - Owner, Creative Est.

Why Carolina Online?

Broad curriculum balancing concepts and application, to equip students for strategic thinking and management-level decision-making in diverse subject areas